The Ruler from Bethlehem
Opening Prayer
Lord, help us to perceive that our strength comes from You and not from what is calculated to impress others around us.
Read Micah 5:1–15
Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek with a rod.
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.
4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.
5 And he will be our peace
when the Assyrians invade our land
and march through our fortresses.
We will raise against them seven shepherds,
even eight commanders,
6 who will rule the land of Assyria with the sword,
the land of Nimrod with drawn sword.
He will deliver us from the Assyrians
when they invade our land
and march across our borders.
7 The remnant of Jacob will be
in the midst of many peoples
like dew from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,
which do not wait for anyone
or depend on man.
8 The remnant of Jacob will be among the nations,
in the midst of many peoples,
like a lion among the beasts of the forest,
like a young lion among flocks of sheep,
which mauls and mangles as it goes,
and no one can rescue.
9 Your hand will be lifted up in triumph over your enemies,
and all your foes will be destroyed.
10 “In that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will destroy your horses from among you
and demolish your chariots.
11 I will destroy the cities of your land
and tear down all your strongholds.
12 I will destroy your witchcraft
and you will no longer cast spells.
13 I will destroy your idols
and your sacred stones from among you;
you will no longer bow down
to the work of your hands.
14 I will uproot from among you your Asherah poles
when I demolish your cities.
15 I will take vengeance in anger and wrath
on the nations that have not obeyed me.”
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
“Christ Jesus… humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place” (Phil. 2:5,8,9).
In today’s passage, Micah imagines a future-restored Judah, purged by God, enjoying peace. The new kingdom will be mighty, like a lion among the animals. Yet the ruler of
the new and glorious kingdom will emerge from humble origins. The power of the nation will not reside in its military accoutrements, for God will put an end to its horses and chariots. Its strength will come from its devotion to the Lord.
An ideal view of David’s monarchy provides the model for the restored kingdom. This kingdom will be a pared-down version of the pre-exilic Judah. It will be as it was in the early days of David, before Solomon and the practices he introduced. Purged of its idolatry, the new Judah will be a simpler, smaller, more agrarian society. Little Israel, surrounded by many nations and peoples, will live securely trusting in her God.
The Christian tradition would see in these visions a prefiguring of the coming of Jesus and the kingdom of God. King David was, of course, the original Bethlehemite rags-to- riches king, but Jesus’ career would follow a similar trajectory. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, would be born into poverty, take the role of a servant, live a life of service to others, and suffer death by crucifixion. God the Father would raise him to life again and give him a name above every name. Now he exhorts us to deny ourselves, take up the cross and follow him. As the ascended Lord, he will also empower us by the Spirit to live the resurrection life: a life characterized by cross-bearing. This is what we call to mind on this and every Ascension Day.
Apply
Reflect on these words from Darrell Johnson: “We are ordinary, broken human beings gathered around the ascended Jesus to share in his life and to be about his business in the world.” How are we called into action for God?
Closing prayer
Lord, we believe that the baby born in Bethlehem began his human life in humble surroundings. Help us to be content with humble surroundings as we follow You.
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